Your Questions

Q

I have just completed "Sharpes Waterloo". I was amazed at the brutality of war at that time. By their stadards back then, war today seems almost antiseptic when you compare the two worlds. In the historical note you compared Gettysburg and Waterloo. Stating that Gettysburg was one of the few battles of that century that could compare to the casualties amassed during Waterloo. I would just like to mention that it took almost 4 days for my ancestors to amass comparable casualties at Gettysburg where at Waterloo it only took one day. What are your thoughts on that? I think it was because of the terrain. It amazes me to no end. The sheer brutality of it. The American civil war was a meat grinder, but the war that progressed through Spain, and then to top it off with something like Waterloo...just boggles the imagination. I am begining to hold the same opinion as you on Wellington, that he was a military genious. He had more nerve than anyone in history also. I find myself wanting to know more about him. If you could recomend one book about Wellington, the man as well as the soldier. What would it be? Best regards Don Sawyer

Submitted August 26, 2004

A

It is horrifying, and will get much worse in the First World War. You're right about the terrain at Gettysburg - Waterloo is a very open battlefield and the French, especially, had no cover of any sort in the centre of the field where the main action took place. The other fact that contributed to the high slaughter rate was the very limited size of the conflict at Waterloo - it was fought over a much smaller area than many of the Peninsular battles - much smaller than Salamanca, say, or Vitoria (and much smaller than Gettysburg), so a terrible lot of men were crammed into a very small killing field dominated by a mass of efficient artillery.

Christopher Hibbert's biography is terrific, covering Wellington's whole career, as is Richard Holmes's, though the latter concentrates more on the soldier than the man. Lady Longford's biography is hard to beat - it was originally two volumes but is now published as an abridged single volume paperback. If I had to recommend one? Probably Hibbert.

Q

Hi, I like to know more abaut the "Yale". Congratulations for the trilogy " the Grail Quest" . Adilson Castro de Paula

Hello to everyone, I'm realy curious to know about the "YALE", a picture in first place, that exists in the Grail Quest. I've already tried to find something at the internet with no sucess. Please help me. PS: I'm waiting anxiously to read the Heretic in Portuguese because I live in Brazil. Bosco

Submitted August 26, 2004

A

I suspect you'll find a picture in a good heraldry book - I don't know offhand whether there's one in the Oxford Book of heraldry - but a visit to a library should clear it up quickly. I hope you'll enjoy Heretic!

Q

Dear Bernard, Of late I have been reading Mark Stoyle's "West Britons", amongst other books on the subject of Cornish history and the Civil War(s) in general. The story of Sir Richard Grenville and Cornish particularism seems to lend itslef well to a "personal" story set against the larger conflicts. Are the Civil War(s) an period of history that might interest you enough to write a book (or series)? Jan Monk

Submitted August 25, 2004

A

It's on the list . .. but it's a very long list. Maybe one day?

Q

Hello Bernard...I am of the opinion that the Warlord Chronicles are extraordinarily well-written and that is to say the least. I read and re-read them with as much passion and admiration as I did The Lord of the Rings twenty-odd years ago. I would, however, like to know where the inspiration for the shield designs and banners of the various characters and kingdoms came from. The Notitia Dignitatum is probably the best primary source available but I'm sure you were inspired by other artefacts. Regards Joe Pascal

Submitted August 25, 2004

A

I honestly can't remember - wrote the books so long ago - sorry!

Q

Hello Bernard, As a self confessed Napoleonic nut, I was wondering if you had considered bringing in any of the minor nations that supported Napoleon in the peninsular and indeed throughout the Wars in the Sharpe books. I remember Hesse-Darmstadt being mentioned in the siege of Baderjoz and mention of Neopolitans pirates in another, but there were Poles, Italians, Germans and Swiss in the Peninsular. They may not have been that numerous, but the Swiss are interesting as they wore red coats and they must have (and did) cause confusion in a few battles in which they were present. The Neopolitans were appauling troops (I'll 'have no more of them' said Napoleon)...they deserted most of them, being made up from the dregs of Neopolitan society. The wore white, not the blue of France. The Italians wore green and the Polish Vistula Legion is well known. The various German states wore a variety of uniforms.....enough of this I am sure you know all this anyway... I just wondered if Sharpe could maybe come across a few non-French troops for a change. Indeed would be in his knowledge to know the difference ? Lol, all this from one point made in Sharpe's Escape (brilliant as always btw) when Sharpe and Harper passed themselves off as 'Dutch'.....but one minor niggle : would the Dutch have worn the French uniform ? A few I suppose in direct service.....but Dutch regiments would have worn white ?? Sorry to go on but it's been on my mind for ages...just wanted to exchznge a few ideas/views, hope you don't mind. Regards Phil Davies, Gloucester.

Submitted August 25, 2004

A

Your point is taken and I shall do my best to comply!

Q

I agree with you on your character Hawkeswill that you killed him off to soon. He was fantastic, though he did scare me. By writing the three Indian books, you did this character justice. He was lucky the Elephant and Snake had an off day. I've said this before but Ducos, after Sharpe and Harper, is the best character you have. The reason I write is - how good was the spying techniques of that time and which book on the subject do you recommend? Also I have a ticket on Oct 5th, so I look forward to meeting you. The National Army Museum has a fantastic exhibition on the Crimean and Pennisular Wars, well worth a visit for anyone else reading this post. William Carter

Submitted August 25, 2004

A

The spying techniques were very sophisticated and, at least on the British side, extremely effective. I suspect Wellington knew more about French movements than the French themselves did, mainly, of course, because he had the help of the Spanish and Portuguese guerilla movements. Sadly I don't know of a good book on the subject - indeed I think it needs to be written. Mark Urban's biography of George Scovell (The Man who broke Napoleon's Codes) is good, but it doesn't deal with the wider subject of espionage and I think it overstates the case for Scovell alarmingly. There is a book on the activity of the Secret Service (British) during the Napoleonic Wars, but it's unreadable (I couldn't get through it anyway) so it's hard to recommend anything.

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, I am 14 and my brother is 10, and we have read quite a few of your Sharpe books, which are great. I am currently reading Redcoat. We have noticed that you frequently refer to light companies in your books. What is your opinion of them and do you admire them? Yours, James.

Submitted August 23, 2004

A

Of course I admire them! Sharpe's a light infantryman! Most light companies were composed of selected men - often the brightest and fittest, and of course their primary job was to skirmish, but they were also often selected for special tasks. The grenadier companies were the opposite - the big guys whose specialty was the assault, but it become clear through the Napoleonic period that the future will belong to the light infantry - they were more flexible, quicker and, when armed with the rifle, more deadly. You can't do away with the line companies, they provide the firepower, but the light infantry could severely weaken line companies before the main clash.

Q

Love your books, at least the ones I've read! Question: try as I may, I cannot quite hear the rythm or cadence of the "pas de charge" which always seems to accompany one of the Emperor's columns flinging itself upon the thin red lines. Is there a source for this, or can you suggest a popular tune in which the same rythm appears? Joseph Lunt

Submitted August 23, 2004

A

Can someone else help me out here? I give the rhythm in one of the Sharpe books, but I can't find it offhand, and I can't remember the source, and, forgive me, I'm busy on another book and it will probably take half a day to rake through everything - so can anyone help out?

Q

Dear Mr Cornwell, Thank you so much for all of your books. They are all a pleasure to read and I always look foreword to what's coming next. Do you have any plans to write a Sharpe book about his life before the army? Something that describes his childhood? Also, why are you "Britain's Storyteller" if you live in the US? How about being "America's Storyteller"? Or maybe "America's British Storyteller"? Give it some thought. Thanks, Sean McCarthy

Submitted August 23, 2004

A

I don't have plans at the moment for a book on Sharpe's childhood. The tag was given me by my publisher, and I suppose it reflects that I write mostly about British history. Difficult to slot Arthur, Alfred, Hundred Years War and Sharpe into America's story.

Q

I know it would be difficult, but do you think Obadiah will ever march in a new book? I know it would screw up the timeline in Sharpe, but it would be worth that blunder to see one of your greatest characters and his twisted minds at large again. Perhaps in a novel based around the sergeant? You always did say it was a huge mistake killing him off, so why not bring him back? Best regards, James Trethowan

Submitted August 23, 2004

A

It would be good, wouldn't it? Maybe his twin brother, Jedediah?